ICAC Told Developers Flew Canada Bay Mayor Overseas

Canada Bay mayor Angelo Tsirekas was flown to China six times and received money via a complex system of companies from a friend working for developers, an corruption probe has been told. 

The Independent Commission Against Corruption is this week investigating allegations that Tsirekas accepted benefits from developers as inducement or reward over specific planning applications and that he had failed to disclose certain conflicts of interest. 

Counsel Assisting Jamie Darams said that partial downpayments for property at 252-256 Liverpool Road, Ashfield had been paid to Tsirekas by real estate agent and longtime friend Francesco Colaccio via several companies, including Machonic Pty Ltd, which was wound down once the money was transferred, though the property was never purchased.

He also said that Joseph Chidiac had loaned Tsirekas money and introduced him to Michael Gu and Harry Huang of I-Prosperity Pty Ltd, and that Tsirekas had accepted trips and accommodation to Lebanon and China. 

”In the period December 2015 to October 2018, [I-Prosperity Group] paid Mr Chidiac in excess of $1.4 million,” Darams said.

It is alleged that in return, Tsirekas allowed applicants to redraft councillors’ draft amendments, allow votes on plans to go through in the absence of required planning officers, and to use his position to try and push through development applications.

It is also alleged that Tsirekas failed to disclose interests and friendships that he had with Chidiac, Frank Bruzzano and Colaccio over the years from 2012 onwards, and that he sought or accepted benefits from them and representatives of different companies. 

The development applications he is alleged to have assisted with include 1-9 Marquet Street and 4 Mary Street in Rhodes, and 168-172 and 231 Victoria Road in Drummoyne. 

The now liquidated iProsperity Pty Ltd and I-Prosperity Waterside Rhodes Pty Ltd as well as John and William Kinsella’s Billbergia Pty Ltd and Joseph and Pierre Jacob’s Prolet Pty Ltd are all named in the allegations. 

Michael Gu and Harry Huang of I-Prosperity Pty Ltd are understood to have left Australia. 

“Mr Gu and Mr Huang fled Australia in July 2020 and have not returned amid claims that companies associated with them and I-Prosperity misappropriated investors’ money,” Darams said.

I-Prosperity’s 1-9 Marquet Street deal lost investors around $8 million, ICAC was told on Tuesday.

Canada Bay Council’s former general manager Gary Sawyer is also alleged to have not disclosed his connection with Colaccio. 

Tsirekas has been an elected councillor in NSW since 1995 and has been Canada Bay mayor since 2002, except for a period between June 2016 to September 2017 when he resigned to unsuccessfully contest the seat of Reid for the Labor party at the 2016 Federal Election.

He was elected as mayor again in 2017 as an ALP candidate and again in December 2021 as a Our Local Community party candidate.  

He is currently on a leave of absence for personal reasons until May 27 of this year. 

The inquiry has so far heard from former associates of I-Prosperity Pty Ltd as well as town planners.